Sign up to receive free email alerts when patent applications with chosen keywords are publishedSIGN UP

Abstract:

A method for manufacturing an ionizing radiation detection device having
a block of a semiconductor material adapted to undergo local separations
of charges between positive and negative charges under the effect of
ionizing radiation. The device including a first series of at least two
collecting electrodes formed on the surface of the semiconductor block,
and a second series of at least two non-collecting electrodes formed on a
support and separated from the semiconductor block by an insulating
layer. During processing, after forming the insulating layer on the
support so as to cover the non-collecting electrodes, the block of
semiconductor material bearing the collecting electrodes and the support
bearing the non-collecting electrodes and the insulating layer are
assembled.

Claims:

1. A method for manufacturing an ionizing radiation detection device
comprising a block (100), referred to as semiconductor block, of a
semiconductor material adapted to undergo local separations of charges
between positive and negative charges under the effect of ionizing
radiations, a first series of at least two electrodes (130), referred to
as collecting electrodes, in electrical contact with the semiconductor
block (100), a second series of at least two electrodes (310), referred
to as non-collecting electrodes, separated from the semiconductor block
(100) by a layer (500), referred to as insulating layer, of an
electrically insulating material, the method comprising the following
steps: forming the collecting electrodes (130) on a surface of the
semiconductor block (100), forming the non-collecting electrodes (310) on
a surface of a support (300), The method being characterized in that,
after having formed the insulating layer (500) on the support (300) so as
to cover the non-collecting electrodes, it comprises assembling the
semiconductor block (100) bearing the collecting electrodes (130) and the
support (300) bearing the non-collecting electrodes and the insulating
layer.

2. A manufacturing method according to claim 1, characterized in that the
collecting electrodes (110) take the form of strips.

3. A manufacturing method according to claim 2, characterized in that the
strips forming the collecting electrodes (110) are deposited on the
surface of the semiconductor block (100) by lithography.

4. A manufacturing method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the non-collecting electrodes (310) are formed on
the surface of the support (300) using a printed circuit manufacturing
method.

5. A manufacturing method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the insulating layer (500) is formed by deposition
of the insulating material in the liquid state on the support (300).

6. A manufacturing method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the assembly of the semiconductor block and of the
support is performed using an adhesive (610).

10. A manufacturing method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that at least one connection component (320, 520) is
arranged in the support (300) so as to make that connection component
pass fully through the support and has a contact surface flush with the
surface (560) of the insulating layer (500) after formation of that layer
and in that the assembly is carried out so as to place in electrical
contact a collecting electrode (110) and said conducting connection
component (320).

11. A manufacturing method according to the preceding claim,
characterized in that the assembly is carried out using a conductive
adhesive disposed between a connection zone (120) of said collecting
electrode (110) and the contact surface of the connection component
(320).

12. A manufacturing method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that the material used to form the insulating layer
(500) has a relative permittivity comprised between 5 and 15, and a
resistivity comprised between 10.sup.11 and 10.sup.12 Ω.cm.

13. A manufacturing method according to the preceding claim, the material
used to form the insulating layer being ESL 4909-mod.

14. A manufacturing method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that at least one collecting electrode (110) is of width
less than that of a non-collecting electrode (310).

15. A manufacturing method according to one of the preceding claims,
characterized in that it comprises forming at least one non-collecting
electrode (310) with at least two widened portions (312) to measure a
signal induced by the movements of charge in the semiconductor block
(100), and in that the assembly step is carried out so as to place
opposite each other a collecting electrode (110) and a space (313)
between the two widened portions (312).

16. A manufacturing method according to one of the preceding claims, the
support (300) being of ceramic.

17. A manufacturing method according to the preceding claim, the support
(300) being of alumina.

18. An ionizing radiation detection device comprising: a block (100),
referred to as semiconductor block, of a semiconductor material adapted
to undergo a local separation of charge between positive and negative
charges under the effect of an ionizing radiation, a first series of at
least two electrodes (110) referred to as collecting electrodes, in
electrical contact with the semiconductor block (100), a second series of
at least two electrodes (310) referred to as non-collecting electrodes,
carried by a support (300) and separated from the semiconductor block
(100) by a layer (500), referred to as insulating layer, of an
electrically insulating material, characterized in that the electrically
insulating material forming the insulating layer has a resistivity
greater than or equal to 10.sup.11 Ω.cm and a relative dielectric
permittivity greater than 5.

19. An ionizing radiation detection device comprising: a block (100),
referred to as semiconductor block, of a semiconductor material adapted
to undergo a local separation of charge between positive and negative
charges under the effect of an ionizing radiation, a first series of at
least two electrodes (110) referred to as collecting electrodes in
electrical contact with the semiconductor block (100), a second series of
at least two electrodes (310) referred to as non-collecting electrodes,
carried by a support (300) and separated from the semiconductor block
(100) by a layer (500), referred to as insulating layer, of an
electrically insulating material, characterized in that at least one
non-collecting electrode (310) comprises at least two widened portions
(312) to measure a signal induced by the movements of charge in the
semiconductor block (100), and in that at least one collecting electrode
(110) extends opposite a space (313) between the two widened portions
(312).

20. An ionizing radiation detection device comprising: a block (100),
referred to as semiconductor block, of a semiconductor material adapted
to undergo a local separation of charge between positive and negative
charges under the effect of an ionizing radiation, a first series of at
least two electrodes (110) referred to as collecting electrodes, in
electrical contact with the semiconductor block (100), a second series of
at least two electrodes (310) referred to as non-collecting electrodes,
carried by a support (300) and separated from the semiconductor block
(100) by a layer (500), referred to as insulating layer, of an
electrically insulating material, characterized in that at least one
collecting electrode (110) is of width less than that of a non-collecting
electrode (310).

Description:

PRIORITY CLAIM

[0001] This application claims priority to French patent application No.
1055239, filed Jun. 29, 2010 the disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference herein.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present invention relates to a device for detecting ionizing
radiation, for example gamma radiation, with spatial resolution, as well
as to a method for manufacturing such a device. The device may be used in
the field of safety, or for scientific or medical imaging studies, such
as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT).

BACKGROUND

[0003] Detectors are known using a semiconductor crystal, for example of
cadmium telluride (CdTe) or cadmium zinc telluride (CdZnTe), within which
an electric field is applied by an anode and a cathode disposed on
opposite sides of the crystal.

[0004] The ionizing radiation interacting with the crystal gives rise to
charge separations, that is to say the formation of electron-hole pairs,
the electron and the hole, initially formed at the same location, rapidly
migrating under the effect of the electric field in opposite directions.
It is then possible to collect the electrons and/or the holes, that is to
say to form an electrical signal from the charges flowing towards the
anode and/or from the charges flowing towards the cathode, the electrical
signal thus measured reflecting the interaction of the ionizing radiation
in the semiconductor.

[0005] It should be specified that in addition to gamma radiation, alpha
radiation, beta radiation, X-rays and neutrons may be detected using such
semiconductor detectors.

[0006] The known semiconductor detectors with two-dimensional spatial
resolution give better perspectives with regard to spatial resolution
than the more widespread detectors based on the scintillation of a
crystal or of a plastic in reaction to photons, X- or gamma rays.

[0007] Semiconductor detectors with spatial resolution are in particular
capable of enabling medical imaging to be performed, based on the use of
a gamma radiation emitting radioactive product injected into the patient
or into an animal and selectively fixing in its body.

[0008] Thus semiconductor detectors are known that use a cathode on one
face of the semiconductor crystal, and a rectangular array of pixels
forming anodes on the other face, each pixel defining both an
X-coordinate and a Y-coordinate.

[0009] Such a structure is referred to as an "n2" structure, n
designating the number of anode pixels aligned with one of the sides of
the semiconductor, which is considered to be square. It is complex to
implement when the value of n increases, since it is necessary to put in
place contacts and electrical conductors to extract the signal from each
pixel, and to install a high number of channels for processing the
signals.

[0010] Thus, this solution becomes of low practicability when the needs
for spatial resolution and for detection area increase. However, in
medical matters, the spatial resolution desired is less than a
millimeter, and it is necessary to have available a field of view of
several square centimeters (field 5×5 cm2 for applications on
a small animal). Furthermore, it is desirable for the detectors and the
electronics they carry to occupy a compact volume, so as to make them
easier to manipulate in a restricted space, such as in the field of
medical imaging, in which it is necessary to place the detector as close
as possible to the organ under study, whereas the access to that organ
may be awkward.

[0011] Structures enabling the installation of a fewer number of
electronic channels while maintaining good spatial resolution are thus
sought.

[0012] Structures designated under the generic term of "2n" structures are
known in particular.

[0013] In the case of the semiconductors for which the electrons and the
holes do not migrate at the same speed, which is the case for CdZnTe or
for CdTe, these structures generally comprise a cathode on one face of
the semiconductor crystal, and use two series of electrodes on the
opposite face, the electrodes extending along one or other of the
dimensions of the surface of the crystal. The designation "2n" thus means
that although it is desired to produce an imager with n2 pixels, it
is not a matter of using n2 pixelized anodes on the surface of the
semiconductor material, but n elongate electrodes forming a first series
of electrodes and n other electrodes, also elongate, forming a second
series of electrodes.

[0014] The electrodes of the first series define the X coordinate and are
deposited directly on the semiconductor material. These are collecting
electrodes, since they collect charge carriers migrating in the detector.
When those carriers are electrons, the collecting electrodes are anodes.

[0015] The electrodes of the second series are disposed transversely to
the collecting electrodes, and define the Y-coordinate. These electrodes
are not in electrical contact but are capacitively coupled with the
semiconductor crystal. They do not collect charge carriers, but produce a
signal induced by the movement of charge carriers in the detector
material, including a maximum and a minimum potential. They are thus
referred to as non-collecting electrodes.

[0016] In U.S. Pat. No. 6,037,595, such a "2n" system, called "cross-strip
detector" is disclosed.

[0017] The electrodes of a first series of electrodes are constructed by
the use of localized anodes, deposited on the semiconductor material and
linked together in columns by conductive cables passing at a distance
from the semiconductor material.

[0018] Electrodes originally put in place on the surface of the
semiconductor to protect the localized anodes in relation to
electrostatic effects induced remotely by the movement of the electrons
and holes in the semiconductor volume are used to form the second series
of electrodes. They are organized in the form of lines, and are also
linked by conductive cables passing at a distance from the semiconductor
material. As these electrodes do not collect electrons but only measure
induced effects, they are referred to as "non-collecting".

[0019] A variant described in this patent uses a layer of insulating
material to separate the detector material and the non-collecting
electrodes; this layer of insulating material is deposited on the face of
the detector. The non-collecting electrodes are then either formed on the
insulating layer, or are formed on a separate substrate, which is then
mounted on the insulating layer.

[0020] PCT Pat. Pub. No. WO2008/054862 also describes a detector having a
"2n" type structure and comprising a volume 2 of semiconductor material,
a cathode 4 on one face of that volume, an anode structure 6 on the
opposing face, the latter comprising a first series of conductor bands 8
(collecting anodes) on the face of the semiconductor material and a
second series of conductor bands 12 (non-collecting anodes) separated
from the collecting anodes by a layer of insulating material 26, which
may be AlN, Al2O3 or Si3N4. The insulating material
may be deposited by sputtering or evaporation. The sputtering may lead to
a heterogeneous insulating layer being obtained, strewn with air bubbles,
and of uneven thickness. The evaporation only takes place at high
temperature and is thus not without risk for the semiconductor crystal
whose properties are generally very temperature-sensitive. The
manufacturing methods proposed are not satisfactory therefore.

[0021] Furthermore, to ensure that the electrons are actually collected by
the localized anodes, a focusing grid kept at a potential intermediate
between the cathode and anode potentials is sometimes used to direct the
electrons. This focusing grid may also be referred to as a non-collecting
electrode since it is separated from the semiconductor by an insulating
layer and collects no electron.

[0022] From U.S. Pat. Pub. No. 2002/0036269 in particular, a coincidence
detection device is known comprising at least two semiconductor detector
crystals, each crystal bearing pixellated anodes on a first face and
segmented cathodes on a second face, each pixellated anode being
connected to an electronic channel for collecting signals representing
the energy of the photons interacting in the crystal, each segmented
cathode being connected to an electronic channel for collecting
coincidence trigger signals. In an embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 3A and
3B of this published patent application, a non-collecting focusing grid
212 is formed between the pixellated anodes. An insulating layer 210 (of
grid form) extends between the first face of the crystal and the focusing
grid. As indicated [0068], the insulating material can be painted,
sprayed, deposited, chemically passivated bonded, bonded or vaporized
onto the face of the crystal. As explained earlier, these methods are not
fully satisfactory.

[0023] In another embodiment illustrated in FIG. 7 of U.S. Pat. Pub. No.
2002/0036269, the detector includes as earlier a crystal and pixellated
anodes. Furthermore, a printed circuit board bearing pixellated contacts
(612) and a focusing grid (616) is juxtaposed against the detector: the
contacts (612) are bonded to the pixellated anodes (606) of the detector
using a conducting adhesive. The space between the contacts (612), the
anodes (606) and the gird (616) is filled with an insulating polymer
material (622) in the liquid state using a wick ([0098]). This insulating
layer 622 is formed during or after the assembly of the detector 602 and
the printed circuit board 610 ([0099]). The insulating material brought
to a high temperature then enters into contact with the detector, which
may damage the latter. Furthermore, the operation of injecting insulating
material into the narrow space destined to receive it is awkward and
difficult to implement industrially. Separating the detector and the
printed circuit board with the aim of facilitating the distribution of
the insulating material would lead to an insulating layer that is too
thick being obtained.

[0024] In the technical article "Single-sided CZT Strip detectors" (J.
Macri et al., IEEE, Vol 51, No. 5, October 2004), instead of using a
focusing grid, the non-collecting electrodes are themselves brought to a
potential intermediate between the cathode and anode potentials.

[0025] In both cases, the installation of the conductor cables, outside
the plane of the localized anodes, considerably complicates the
manufacture, in particular when the needs for spatial resolution or area
increase. The use of different potentials for the two series of anodes or
for the focusing grid also constitutes a difficulty, since surface
currents appear when the surface state of the semiconductor or of the
other materials used is not perfect.

[0026] Furthermore, a production method according to a variant of U.S.
Pat. No. 6,037,595 requires the use of a dielectric material which can be
deposited at a temperature capable of being withstood by the
semiconductor material on which the deposition is made. Failing this, the
semiconductor material is deteriorated. This temperature condition is
particularly limiting where the semiconductor material comprises CdTe or
CdZnTe, such materials degrading (loss of spectro properties, in
particular) as soon as the temperature exceeds 80° C.

[0027] From European Pat. No. EP1739458 a detector is also known using two
series of electrodes disposed in two separate planes parallel to the
surface of the semiconductor, still on the same side thereof, the
electrodes being in the form of strips and both series of electrodes
being separated by an electrically insulating material. The thickness of
the latter is adjusted to obtain a compromise between detection of the
induced signal and insulation of the non-collecting electrodes.

[0028] During the manufacture of such a device, the deposition of an
insulating material on the surface of the semiconductor is awkward, since
at low temperature, adhesion is liable to be insufficient and the
thickness poorly controlled, and at high temperature, the semiconductor
is liable to be damaged.

[0029] Furthermore, it is naturally desirable to improve the ratio between
the signal measured by the non-collecting electrodes and the noise to
which the latter are subjected, in particular the noise appearing by
capacitive effect, on account of the collection of charges by the
collecting anodes situated nearby.

SUMMARY

[0030] In this context, the present invention is directed to providing a
method for manufacturing semiconductor detectors in which the
semiconductor is not subjected to temperatures liable to degrade its
properties.

[0031] The invention is in particular directed to providing a
manufacturing method particularly adapted to the manufacture of detectors
with "2n" type structures, which makes it possible to obtain an
insulating layer (between the collecting electrodes and the
non-collecting electrodes) that is homogenous, free of air bubbles and of
controlled thickness, while avoiding the risk of degrading the
semiconductor. Such a method is also advantageous for manufacturing
detectors of "n2" type structure (pixellated anodes) having a
focusing grid.

[0032] The invention is also directed to providing new detectors having
improved performance in terms of signal to noise ratio obtained at the
non-collecting electrodes.

[0033] Another object of the invention is to provide a method of
manufacturing semiconductor detectors that is easy to implement for large
series of devices, for devices with a high spatial resolution, and for
devices of large size.

[0034] To that end, the invention provides a method for manufacturing an
ionizing radiation detection device, said device comprising: [0035] a
block, referred to as semiconductor block, of a semiconductor material
adapted to undergo local separations of charges between positive and
negative charges under the effect of ionizing radiations, [0036] a first
series of at least two electrodes referred to as collecting electrodes,
in electrical contact with the semiconductor block, [0037] a second
series of at least two electrodes referred to as non-collecting
electrodes, separated from the semiconductor block by a layer, referred
to as insulating layer, of an electrically insulating material.

[0038] The method according to the invention comprises the following
steps: [0039] forming the collecting electrodes on a face of the
semiconductor block, [0040] forming the non-collecting electrodes on a
face of a support.

[0041] The method according to the invention is characterized in that,
after having formed the insulating layer on the support so as to cover
the non-collecting electrodes, it comprises assembling the semiconductor
block bearing the collecting electrodes and the support bearing the
non-collecting electrodes and the insulating layer.

[0042] By virtue of this method, it is possible to prepare the insulating
layer at high temperature in advance, with controlled thickness, flatness
and adhesion and without risking damage to the semiconductor since the
insulating layer is formed uniquely on the support and not against the
semiconductor block, which enables the remarkable properties of the
semiconductor material to be preserved.

[0043] This method thus also enables a dielectric material to be chosen
without being limited by the maximum temperature that can be withstood by
the semiconductor material.

[0044] Lastly, this method enables the presence of undesirable material to
be better controlled, and in particular air bubbles, between the
non-collecting electrodes and the semiconductor block.

[0045] For all these reasons, it leads to a clear improvement of the
signal to noise ratio obtained at the non-collecting electrodes.

[0046] Advantageously, the collecting electrodes are linear; in other
words they take the form of strips. Preferably, the strips forming the
collecting electrodes are deposited on the surface of the semiconductor
block by lithography.

[0047] Advantageously, the non-collecting electrodes are formed on the
surface of the support using a printed circuit manufacturing method. For
example, two successive deposits are carried out by screen printing.

[0048] Advantageously and according to the invention, the insulating layer
is formed by deposition of the insulating material in the liquid state on
the support.

[0049] One of the essential contributions of the method according to the
invention is that it enables the insulating material to be freely chosen.
It is hence possible to use a dielectric material whose characteristics
make it possible to overcome the difficulties encountered through
experience in the use of the structures described in the prior art. In
particular, the inventors have discovered that it is advantageous for the
electrically insulating material to have a resistivity greater than or
equal to 1011 Ω.cm, and a relative dielectric permittivity
greater than 5, these ranges of values enabling excellent results to be
achieved in terms of signal to noise ratio obtained at the non-collecting
electrodes. Preferably, the electrically insulating material has a
relative permittivity comprised between 5 and 15, and a resistivity
comprised between 1011 and 1012 Ω.cm.

[0050] The invention extends to devices that can be obtained by the method
according to the invention and in particular to a device for detecting
ionizing radiations comprising: [0051] a block, referred to as
semiconductor block, of a semiconductor material adapted to undergo a
local separation of charge between positive and negative charges under
the effect of an ionizing radiation, [0052] a first series of at least
two electrodes referred to as collecting electrodes, in electrical
contact with the semiconductor block, [0053] a second series of at least
two electrodes referred to as non-collecting electrodes, carried by a
support and separated from the semiconductor block by a layer, referred
to as insulating layer, of an electrically insulating material,

[0054] characterized in that the electrically insulating material forming
the insulating layer has a resistivity greater than 1011 Ω.cm
and a relative dielectric permittivity greater than 5. Preferably, the
electrically insulating material has a relative permittivity comprised
between 5 and 15, and a resistivity comprised between 1011 and
1012 Ω.cm.

[0055] Such a device has improved performance with regard to spatial
resolution, the noise experienced by the non-collecting electrodes being
particularly low for material thicknesses enabling the measurement of an
exploitable induced signal. The ratio of signal measured by the
non-collecting electrodes to noise experienced by those electrodes is
thus particularly high. Manufacture of the device is facilitated since
the thickness of dielectric material does not need to be particularly
small.

[0056] The choice of a material having such particular properties goes
against the teachings of the prior art which either taught to adapt the
thickness of the material to its permittivity or taught to use a focusing
grid to direct the electrons towards the collecting electrodes, the
dielectric material then being merely optional.

[0057] In certain embodiments, the relative permittivity of the dielectric
material is greater than 10. With such a permittivity, the signal induced
on the non-collecting electrodes is less dependent on local variations in
thickness of the dielectric material, or on the presence of
heterogeneities between the detector material and the non-collecting
electrodes, such heterogeneities being for example air bubbles or
impurities in the dielectric material.

[0058] According to another definition of the invention, the insulating
material furthermore has a resistivity greater than 10 times that of the
semiconductor material. This last feature enables good capacitive
coupling between the non-collecting electrodes and the semiconductor
material.

[0059] According to another aspect of the invention, the geometry of the
electrodes, and in particular the form of the non-collecting electrodes,
satisfies certain conditions enabling the signal to noise ratio to be
optimized.

[0060] According to this aspect, the invention consists of a device for
detecting ionizing radiations comprising a block, referred to as
semiconductor block, of a semiconductor material adapted to undergo a
local separation of charges between positive and negative charges under
the effect of an ionizing radiation, a first series of at least two
electrodes referred to as collecting electrodes, in electrical contact
with the semiconductor block, a second series of at least two electrodes
referred to as non-collecting electrodes, carried by a support and
separated from the semiconductor block by a layer, referred to as
insulating layer, of an electrically insulating material, characterized
in that at least one non-collecting electrode comprises at least two wide
portions for measuring a signal induced by the movements of charge in the
semiconductor block, and in that at least one collecting electrode
extends opposite a space between the two wide portions.

[0061] This geometry enables a solid angle to be obtained by which the
non-collecting electrode sees the semiconductor material that is less
encumbered by the collecting electrodes proportionally to the area of the
non-collecting electrode than in a structure of the prior art. The noise
that is experienced by the non-collecting electrode is reduced and the
induced signal measured by the non-collecting electrode is increased
relative to the prior devices.

[0062] If the non-collecting electrode is manufactured in the form of a
printed circuit deposited on a flat surface, the preceding feature is
implemented by reducing the width of the electrode between the two wide
portions, taking care however to keep sufficient width (at the location
of the narrow portion of the electrode) for conduction.

[0063] If the electrode is manufactured by another way, for example with
wired connections, the width of the narrow portion may be reduced to
zero, the conduction then taking place in a plane behind the plane of the
wide portions serving for the generation of the induced signal, in
relation to the semiconductor.

[0064] According to still another aspect of the invention, the detection
device is characterized in that at least one collecting electrode is in
strip form and of width less than that of a non-collecting electrode.
Preferably, the collecting electrodes all have widths (identical or
different) that are less than the widths (identical or different) of the
non-collecting electrodes.

[0065] This geometry of the electrodes also enables a solid angle to be
obtained by which the non-collecting electrode sees the semiconductor
material that is less encumbered by the collecting electrodes than a in
structure according to the prior art. The ratio of signal produced by the
non-collecting electrode to noise experienced by that electrode is thus
increased relative to the prior devices.

[0066] Advantageously, the method according to the invention and/or the
device obtained furthermore have one or more of the following features:
[0067] the assembly of the semiconductor block and of the support is
performed using an adhesive; [0068] the support is of ceramic, for
example of alumina; [0069] the material used to form the insulating layer
is a material known under the name ESL 4909-mod; [0070] at least one
connection component is arranged in the support so as to make that
connection component pass fully through the support and has a contact
surface flush with the surface of the insulating layer after formation of
that layer and in that the assembly is carried out so as to place in
contact a collecting electrode and said connection component; the
assembly may be carried out using a conductive adhesive disposed between
a connection zone of said collecting electrode and the contact surface of
said connection component.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0071] The invention will now be described with reference to the
accompanying drawings.

[0072]FIG. 1 is a face-on view of a semiconductor crystal further to a
preliminary step of an embodiment of the method according to the
invention.

[0073]FIG. 2 is a three quarter view of the semiconductor crystal of FIG.
1 further to that preliminary step.

[0074]FIG. 3 is a face-on view of a support further to another
preliminary step of the same embodiment of the method according to the
invention.

[0075]FIG. 4 is a face-on view of a support similar to that presented in
FIG. 3, but in the context of a variant of the invention.

[0076]FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-section view of a support similar to
those presented in FIGS. 3 and 4, at a later stage of a method according
to an embodiment of the invention.

[0077]FIG. 6 illustrates the result of an assembly step during the
implementation of an embodiment of the method according to the invention.

[0078]FIG. 7 illustrates a device according to an embodiment of the
invention, the semiconductor being represented as transparent to reveal
the two series of anodes of the device.

[0080]FIG. 9 illustrates a device according to an embodiment of the
invention.

[0081]FIG. 10 shows a signal obtained on a non-collecting electrode of a
device according to an embodiment of the invention.

[0082]FIG. 11 shows a test object simulating a human organ, used to test
the devices according to the invention.

[0083]FIG. 12 shows an image obtained with a device according to an
embodiment of the invention and the test object of FIG. 10, thus
simulating a medical experiment, here with four juxtaposed detectors.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0084] In FIG. 1, a semiconductor crystal volume has been represented
forming a parallelepiped semiconductor block 100, of square section,
represented as seen from above, such that the FIG. shows the square upper
face of the semiconductor block 100. The semiconductor material is of
cadmium zinc telluride here. Other semiconductors materials may be used.
The side of the square is of a few centimeters length, here 2.5 cm. On an
upper face of the block 100 there are deposited metal strips 110,
directly on the semiconductor material, the metal used here being gold,
or according to a variant, platinum. Other conductive metals may be used.

[0085] In FIG. 1, twelve metal strips 110 can be seen extending parallel
to each other in a direction 105 parallel to one of the sides of the
square, referred to as first direction for the purposes of this
disclosure. The strips 110 are formed directly on the surface of the
semiconductor block 100 on its upper face; they are in electrical contact
with the semiconductor material. They are thus adapted for collecting
charge carriers, and will be called collecting electrodes or strips here.
When the charge carriers are electrons, which is the most frequent case,
those collecting strips are anodes. When the charge carriers are holes,
those collecting strips are cathodes. In the following part of the
description, the case will be considered for which those collecting
strips are anodes, the detector material being CdTe.

[0086] The collecting strips 110 are distributed over the whole of the
surface of the semiconductor block 100. Each of them is of constant
width, the pitch between the strips, defined as the distance separating
the central axes of two consecutive strips, is comprised between 500
μm and 1 millimeter, and in the embodiment presented is precisely 750
μm. The width of each collecting strip 110 is 150 μm, i.e. roughly
1/5th of the pitch. The width of the collecting strips 110 is
determined in accordance with the invention. The collecting strips 110
run over the entire length of one side of the semiconductor block 100.
The thickness of the latter is 5 mm.

[0087] The set of collecting strips 110 constitutes a first series of
electrodes 130. At each of the ends of each strip 110 there is a widened
metal zone 120 referred to as connection zone 120 on account of its
function.

[0088] The thickness of the collecting strips 110 is of the order of a few
μm and, in the embodiment presented, is 3 μm, said collecting
strips having been deposited by a conventional lithography technique.

[0089] The face of the semiconductor block bearing the collecting strips
110 has a surface 160 referred to as first surface for the purposes of
the disclosure. As the thickness of the collecting strips 110 is small
relative to the area of the upper face of the insulating block, the
surface 160 formed by the collecting strips and by the portion of upper
face of the semiconductor block extending between said strips is
substantially flat.

[0090] In certain variants not represented, the width of the collecting
strips 110 is not constant over their entire length, and in other
variants, they are not all the same length or of the same shape.

[0091] In FIG. 2, a semiconductor block 100 is shown that is similar to
that shown in FIG. 1, this time in a three quarter view. A series 130 of
electrodes can be seen, this time comprising thirty-two collecting
electrodes (anodes) 110 of constant width. The semiconductor block 100
has a square front surface with sides of 2.5 cm. The pitch between the
anodes 110 is 750 μm. The connection zones 120 do not appear in the
Figure on account of their small size.

[0092]FIG. 3 shows a support 300 on the surface of which are deposited
metal strips 310: Ten metal strips 310 are shown here. The material
constituting them may be gold or platinum or another conductive metal.

[0093] The strips 310 extend in a second direction 305 parallel to one of
the sides of the support 300. In this example, the second direction 305
is, during the manufacturing method, placed at right angles to the first
direction 105. The strips 310 constitute a second series 330 of
electrodes. These strips 310 are not destined to collect charge carriers,
but to be insulated from the detector material, so as to generate a
signal induced by the movement of the charge carriers in that material.
They are thus non-collecting electrodes. They are parallel to each other
and disposed at a distance from each other corresponding to a pitch of
750 μm. Their width is 650 μm. The distance separating the edges
adjacent two consecutive strips 310 is thus of the order of 100 μm,
which ensures electrical insulation between two neighboring strips. In
accordance with an advantageous aspect of the invention, the
non-collecting strips 310 are wider than the collecting strips 110, and
preferably between 2 and 5 times wider. In the embodiment presented, this
ratio is 4.3, which, once the manufacturing process has finished, enables
a particularly high signal to noise ratio to be obtained at the
non-collecting electrodes.

[0094] Like the semiconductor block of FIG. 1, the support 300 is
parallelepiped, of square section with a square lower face having sides
of approximately 2.5 cm, the non-collecting strips 310 running along the
whole length of one of the sides of the square. It is to be noted in FIG.
3 that the non-collecting strips 310 are of constant width, but according
to variants, it is possible for their width not to be constant over their
entire length. The impedance of the strips is limited.

[0095] The support 300 is a volume of ceramic, and more specifically it is
96% alumina here. The non-collecting strips 310 are deposited by screen
printing, their preparation comprising a step of baking a conductive
paste. Thus the non-collecting strips 310 each constitute a circuit
printed on the support 300.

[0096] The support 300 may constitute a reading circuit box, carrying the
electronics necessary for the processing of the signals collected at the
different electrodes. The material constituting it has been chosen on
account of its stiffness and its good level of mechanical stability,
compatible with high temperature deposition processes. According to
variants, other materials are used (SiO2, epoxy or any insulating
substrate adapted for the integration of electronic devices).

[0097] On the edges of two sides of the support 300, conductive contacts
320 are arranged. FIG. 3 shows two series of twelve conductive contacts
320 regularly spaced over both sides of the support 300, parallel to the
non-collecting strips 310.

[0098] The thickness of the non-collecting strips 310 is, in one
embodiment, approximately 10 μm. In another embodiment, the
non-collecting strips are deposited in two passes each of 15 μm
residual thickness each, i.e. with a final thickness of 30 μm. This
enables the impedance of each strip to be reduced, which, in this
example, is of the order of 2Ω.

[0099]FIG. 4 shows a variant of a support as represented in FIG. 3. The
support 300 carries a series 330 of non-collecting electrodes parallel to
each other, but whose width is not constant. Thus, each non-collecting
electrode 310 comprises a succession of wide portions 312 and narrow
portions 313, in the form of a comb. This comb shape is defined by a
continuity of material on one of the edges of the strip 310 and a
crenellated shape on the other edge of the strip 310. While the width of
the strip 310 is in the neighborhood of 700 μm in the wide portions
312, it is only 150 μm at the location of the narrow portions 313.

[0100] The width of the narrow portions 313 is adapted so as to obtain
satisfactory conduction over the whole of the length of the strip 310,
from one edge to the other of the support 300, i.e. over approximately 25
mm. The distance between two consecutive wide portions 312, at the
location of a narrow portion 313 is approximately 150 μm. In the FIG.
eighteen wide portions 312 can be seen, but in a preferred embodiment,
each non-collecting electrode comprises 32 of them.

[0101] On each non-collecting strip 310, the narrow portions 313 are
regularly distributed with a pitch equal to the pitch with which the
collecting strips 110 are distributed over the volume of the
semiconductor 100 (FIG. 1). The non-collecting strips 310 are furthermore
disposed such that the successions of narrow portions 313 are made in a
direction perpendicular to the direction 305.

[0102] Eighteen conductive contacts 320 can be seen on one of the edges of
the support 300. They are adapted to enable the connection of the anodes
110, once the device has been assembled, as will be seen in FIGS. 6 and
8.

[0103] An electrode 340 having a similar function to the non-collecting
electrodes 310 but having to face up to particular insulating constraints
on account of the proximity of the conducting contacts 320 is present
between the succession of conductive contacts 320 and the first
crenellated non-collecting strip 310. The electrode 340 has a geometry of
successive triangles.

[0104] In the embodiment presented, it has been seen that the
non-collecting electrodes are manufactured in the form of printed
circuits deposited on a flat surface. The comb form is obtained by
reducing one width of the electrode between the two wide portions 312,
but by keeping sufficient width for conduction at the location of the
narrow portions 313.

[0105] If the non-collecting electrodes are manufactured in another way,
for example with wire connections as presented in U.S. Pat. No.
6,037,595, the width of the narrow portion may be reduced to zero, the
conduction then taking place in a plane behind the plane of the wide
portions.

[0106] With reference to FIG. 5, once the support 300 has been prepared
with the succession of strips 310 deposited on its surface, deposition is
made of a dielectric or electrically insulating material over the whole
surface of the strips 310 and of the empty spaces separating them, as
well as the crenellations corresponding to the narrow portions 313. In an
embodiment, this is carried out by a first step of depositing insulating
material between the strips 310, then by a second step of depositing
insulating material over the whole of the surface of the support 300.

[0107] The thickness of the dielectric material deposited on top of the
non-collecting strips 310 is of the order of 10 μm and is adapted in
particular to ensure that the entirety of the electrodes is actually
covered. The dielectric material forms an insulating layer 500
presenting, on the opposite side to the support 300 and the strips 310, a
flat surface 560, the roughness of which does not exceed a few μm. The
strips 310 are embedded in that insulating layer 500.

[0108] The dielectric material used in a preferred embodiment is known as
ESL 4909-mod commercialized by Electro Science Laboratories, of
resistivity 1011 Ω.cm and relative permittivity
ε0 equal to 9. The deposition is carried out in this case at
850° C. In other embodiments, it is performed at other
temperatures, generally greater than 100° C.

[0109] Contrary to the devices of the prior art, the fact of depositing an
insulating material on a support 300 separated from the semiconductor
block 100 makes it possible to avoid the constraint of temperature it
imposes. It is then possible to choose insulating materials deposited at
high temperature, without risk of degradation to the semiconductor
material forming the block 100.

[0110] Such a deposition at adapted temperature makes it possible to
control the roughness of the surface 560 of the insulating layer, which
surface is adapted to be applied against the face of the semiconductor
block bearing the collecting electrodes 110 (anodes).

[0111] As the resistivity of the semiconductor is of the order of
1010 Ω.cm, the resistivity of the dielectric material forming
the insulating layer 500 is preferably less than 10 times greater. Thanks
to this condition, the signal detected by the non-collecting electrodes
310 is not perturbed by the collection of charge carriers. It is found
that the non-collecting electrodes 310 are sufficiently insulated.

[0112] If the chosen material has a relative permittivity and resistivity
in compliance with the conditions of the invention, the signal produced
by the non-collecting electrodes has a satisfactory signal to noise
ratio. Such a material enables sufficient electrical insulation of the
non-collecting electrodes 310 in relation to the semiconductor block 100,
while enabling capacitive coupling between those electrodes and the
semiconductor.

[0113] In variants, the thickness of the dielectric material separating
the non-collecting electrodes and the collecting electrodes is a few tens
of μm, for example from 2 to 50 μm.

[0114] It will be understood that, whatever their form, the non-collecting
electrodes of the examples described previously are, in a plane parallel
to the flat surface 560, elongated in the second direction 305.

[0115] In FIG. 5, a traversing connection 510 for one of the strips 310
has also been shown. This connection 510 traverses completely through the
support 300 so as to enable the electrical connection of the
non-collecting electrode 310 to a channel for electronic reading and
measurement of the signal which is detected by that strip. Although they
are not shown apart from the most leftward one, a traversing connection
510 is provided for each of the non-collecting strips 310.

[0116] A connection component is also represented in FIG. 5, comprising a
contact 320 and a conductive rod 520. The conductive rod 520 passes
through the support 300 so as to be able to connect the contact 320 to
reading circuits to measure the electrical signals transmitted by the
contact 320.

[0117] In the embodiment shown, the thickness of the contact 320 is
equivalent to the cumulative thickness of the strips 310 and of the
insulating material deposited thereon, which results in the contact 320
having a contact surface (upper surface in the Figure) which extends in
line with the surface 560 of the insulating layer 500. This contact
surface may also be slightly set back from the surface 560 (by a few
μm), it being possible for the set back then to be occupied by
adhesive, as will be understood from an examination of FIG. 6.

[0118] In FIG. 6 shows the assembly of the semiconductor block 100 of FIG.
2 with the laminated support 5. The first and second directions 105 and
305 are placed perpendicularly to each other and the surfaces 160 and 560
are presented face to face to each other. In a variant, without being
placed perpendicularly to each other, the first and second directions are
placed transversely to each other.

[0119] In a variant in which the support of FIG. 4 is used, the narrow
portions 313 of the non-collecting electrodes are placed in vertical
alignment with the collecting strips 110, each wide portion 312 then
facing, through the dielectric material 500, a surface portion of the
semiconductor block 100 devoid of collecting electrode 110. This makes it
possible, once the manufacturing process has finished, to obtain a signal
to noise ratio that is particularly high at the non-collecting
electrodes. To be precise, by placing the narrow zones 313 in this way,
the capacitive coupling between collecting electrode and non-collecting
electrode is minimized, such a coupling being a source of noise affecting
the signal delivered by the non-collecting electrodes.

[0120] The view of FIG. 6 shows the laminated support of FIG. 5 from the
same angle as in that Figure, the semiconductor block 100 being placed
such that a single first strip 110 is visible from left to right in the
Figure.

[0121] Conductive adhesive 610 was placed in advance on the contact
surface of contact 320 and thus contributes to immobilizing said contact
320 and the semiconductor block facing it. The surface 160 is presented
such that each connection zone 120 faces a contact 320 and the adhesive
610 thus provides the fixing as well as the electrical contact of the
collecting strip 110 (by its connection zone) with the contact 320. This
thickness of adhesive will be chosen so as to be the smallest possible,
for example of the order of a few μm to a few tens of μm.

[0122] The adhesive 610 used in one embodiment is a conductive adhesive
curable at low temperature (by which is meant curable at a temperature
less than 80° C.), and more particularly is the adhesive known as
EG8050.

[0123] Thanks to the low degree of roughness of the surface 560, the
presence of unintended air bubbles between the semiconductor block 100
and the non-collecting electrodes 310 is avoided, such air bubbles being
liable to lead to random heterogeneities in the resistivity and the
permittivity of the insulating layer. It can thus be understood that,
with such a method, the resistivity and the permittivity of that layer
are better controlled.

[0124] The detector is completed by a single cathode, which is flat and of
square shape, positioned against the lower face of the semiconductor
block 100. In an alternative embodiment, a cathode segmented into several
elementary cathodes is used.

[0125]FIG. 7 shows a face-on view of the detector as obtained in FIG. 6.
For the needs of the FIG., the semiconductor block 100 is shown
transparent so as to make the electrodes 110 and 310 appear. The
directions of these electrodes have been represented on the FIG., which
are respectively the directions 105 and 305.

[0126]FIG. 8 presents an enlargement of the view of FIG. 7. In the
foreground, a collecting strip 110 can be recognized, perpendicular to a
non-collecting strip 310 and of substantially smaller width. A connection
zone 120 for the retrieval of the signal measured by the collecting
electrode 110 can also be recognized.

[0127]FIG. 9, is a 3/4 view of a detection device comprising four
detectors produced according to the invention and in a disposition joined
to each other on the same support 300. The final device thus profits from
a detection surface with sides measuring 5 cm in the two directions of
its plane, without a blind zone, the detection surfaces being joined
together. The connection means relative to all the electrodes, whether
collecting or non-collecting, is placed within the support 300, so
providing high compactness.

[0128] The device is electrically supplied, by applying a potential
difference between each cathode and the strips 110 which serve as
collecting anodes. In a preferred embodiment, the cathode is placed at a
high negative potential, and the collecting anodes are at a common
potential close to earth.

[0129] The strips 310 will serve as non-collecting electrodes, measuring
the signal induced by the movement of the charges in the semiconductor
block 100. The non-collecting electrodes are all placed at the same
potential, which in an embodiment is the same as that of the collecting
anodes. As a variant, the collecting anodes and the non-collecting
electrodes are placed at different potentials. To be precise, the choice
of a dielectric material as described previously makes the non-collecting
electrodes electrically insulated both from the semiconductor block and
from the collecting anodes.

[0130]FIG. 10 shows on the same graph a signal 1100 measured by a
non-conducting electrode and a signal 1150 measured by a collecting
electrode (anode) of the device according to the invention. The x-axis
gives the time, with a graduation in μs, and the y-axis gives the
potential difference measured. It can be seen that the potential of the
anode undergoes a sudden drop of about 50 mV, and then stays
substantially constant, whereas the potential of the non-collecting
electrode undergoes a transitory reduction of about 16 mV, the latter
rapidly returning to its initial value. The variation in potential of the
non-collecting electrode starts slightly before the start of the
variation in potential of the anode, as is expected for an induced
signal. The signal to noise ratio observed at the non-collecting
electrode is excellent, which enables the device to be used for detection
with high spatial resolution.

[0131]FIG. 11 shows a test device simulating a human thyroid gland within
which a gamma-ray emitting isotope is present, to reproduce the
conditions of medical imaging experiments.

[0132]FIG. 12 shows the imaging result obtained according to the
invention. It is remarkable that in that two-dimensional image the
structure of the thyroid gland of FIG. 11 is to be found precisely, with
fine image spatial resolution, and with high clarity and contrast.

[0133] Although it is presented above with a crystal of cadmium zinc
telluride, the invention may be implemented with different semiconductor
materials, such as gallium arsenide GaAs, silicon, mercury iodide
HgI2, titanium bromide TiBr or another appropriate material,
preferably having a resistivity greater than 109 Ω.cm, this
enabling the number of charge separations appearing in the absence of any
ionizing radiation to remain particularly limited.

[0134] Moreover, in alternative embodiments, the dielectric material 500
is a material known under the name Dupont 5704, of relative permittivity
comprised between 8 and 10 and of resistivity close to 1012
Ω.cm, or is ESL 4905C of 1011 Ω.cm resistivity and of
relative permittivity comprised between 7 and 10. An exploitable signal
has been obtained at the non-collecting electrodes for each of those
dielectric materials. It is to be recalled that the resistivity of a
detector material of CdZnTe type is of the order of 1010 or even
1011 Ω.cm. The insulating materials used advantageously have a
relative permittivity greater than 5, or preferably greater than 6, or
even 8, and less than 10 or 15, and a resistivity comprised between
1011 and 1012 Ω.cm.

[0135] The method is advantageous in a case where the support and the
semiconductor block can be abutted: they can be joined in pairs and
constitute detection devices of large area while minimizing blind areas,
a blind area being a zone not contributing to the detection situated at
the interface between two adjacent detectors.

[0136] The invention is not limited to the described embodiments but
covers all the variants within the capability of the person skilled in
the art.